Method of and apparatus for casting wire terminals



April 1929- w. F. STUCKEMAN 69 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CASTING WIRE TERMINALS Filed March 28, 1927 4 Sheets$heet L n/JMTMM WITNESSES INVENTOR W- 61flw Z Apri130, 1929.

w'. F. STUCKEMAN METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CASTING WIRE TERIINALS Filed March 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet Illlull lnl III I I lllll ll. ll

WITNESSES R O T N E V m April 30, 1929.

- W. F. STUCKEMAN METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CASTING WIRE TERMINALS Filed March 28, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 WITNESSES INVENTOR @WAE.

April 30, 1929. w. F. STUCKEMAN METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CASTING WIRE T ERIINALS Filed March 28, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet w 7 a 6 A /6 a 27/ \1 w.

INVENTOR XW WITNESSES Patented Apr. 30, 1929.

WILLIAM F. STUCKEMAN; 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CASTING WIRE TERMINALS.

Application filed March 28, 1927. Serial No. 178,866..

This invention. relates to a method of and aggnparatus tor :lforming terminals on connector cables or the lilse.

Among the objects of the invention are to prn'wide a nuu'ihiuc for forming terminals on wire cables, of simple and durable mccluinical construction, and particularly to form such terminals by die-casting them on cable ends in a simple and inexpensive manner.

lhlltlblltil. object of the invention is to provide apparatus for forming terminal ends on such cables, in large quantities, of uniform (piality througlmut. and without the expensive finishing operations now necessary.

llerminal ends for ended cables have hcretolfore been diliicult to produce by the casting: process on account of the didiculty of sealing oil the portion where the terminal ends, to prevent the leakage or flow of metal out oi? the spaces between strands. This coi'idition is made more diliicult in die-cast jinn (nicrations on account of the fact that the molten metal is conducted to the die under ufcssnro which requires that the portion of the cable adjacent the portion on which the terminal is formed must be tightly sealed to resist the pressure of the fluid metal in the die.

Cables formed of stranded wires are used or c'ninecting' the adjacent ends of rails in tracks "for street railways. railroads. etc. The ends of the cables are run through holes in the webs of adjacent rails and a permanent cruinectiou made by driving a wedge in the hole beside the cable. A much better electrical connection is secured where the end of the wires is covered by an integral metal terminal, such that described herein.

In accord ance with the present invention I provide a machine comprising a vat or tank provided with a heater in which the metal for the die-casting operation is meltcdand stored and which has associated therewith a mold or die element ada ed to receive the end oi a stranded cable on which the terminal is to be formed. Cooperatingwith the mold or die are a plurality of tampinp; elements adapted to seal off the edge of the cable by tamping a sealing material such as asbestos, cork, or other suital'ile packing material. around the edge of the cable member above the portion on which the terminal is to be cast. The machine is further equipped with means for depositing the sealing material in ills proper position around the cable.

These several functions are carried out semiautomatically by suitable.,lnechanism at the proper time through the manipulation of a single operating medium whereby the casting of terminal ends greatly facilitated and performed in a minimum time.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a die casting apparatus embodying the principles of this inven- 'tion; Fin". 2 a side elevational view thereof; Fig. 3 a plan View; Fig. at. an enlarged detail oi? a portion of the die element illustrating its manner of meration; Fig. 5 a sectional elention of the die; and Fig. 6 an elcvational view oi the completed. terniiinal.

leterring to the several figures of the drawin 's the structure therein illustrated compri av container or tank 1 mounted on suitable pedestals 2 and having a cover 3, providing an enclosed chamber for molten metal. The metal is heated by a burner 4. provided. underneath the container.

Suspended in the container is a cylinder 5 having a piston 6 operatively disposed in one end thereof, its other end terminating in a conduit 7, which extends upwardly to the top of the casing and projects outwardly through a panel 8. The cylinder 5 is further provided with an opening 9 through which the molten metal flows into the cylinder and from which it is displaced under pressure by downward movement of the piston member 6, through the conduit 7 The piston G actuated by a plunger 10, which is pivotally connected at 11 to a lever 12, supported on a rod 13. secured to a fixed lug 14 that projects from one side of the casing member 1. The lever 12 is biased by a coil spring 15 to normally hold it in its raised position, which is the position in which the piston 6 is disposed above the opening 9 off the cylinder, as shown in Fig. 2. i

Mounted on the front of the panel member 8 is a movable die block 16, having an openinn 17 corresponding in its dimensions to the size of the tcmninal which it is desired to form on a cable. The opening is provided with aconstricted portion 18 of the diameter of the outer portions of the cable member on which the terminal is to be formed.

As shown in 1 and l of. the drawings. the die block maybe separated along the line 19. which is coaxial with the opening 1'7. by moving the portion 20 of thedie in a slide or guide-way 21. The movable portion of the die .is actuated bya lever 22 which is pivotally connected at 23 to an extending frame portion 2a secured to the panel 8. The mold or die is opened and closed for the pn pose of removing the terminal after it is formed and to make the opening 17 accessible for cleanmg.

Undernmith the die 16 is a block 25, having; a passage 26 which communicates with the iassagro 2'? oi? the neck portion 28 of the conduit 7 leading to the pr ure cylinder 5. Block 25 is shown provided with an electrical heating element 2!.) to maintain the metal in the passage 26 in a molten state, and a gas heater 3) is provided underneath the neck portion 28 oi? the conduit member to prevent freezing oi? the metal. in the passage of the conduit. Other heating means may be used, where and as may be desirable.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, the die block 16 is shown as havii'ig an elongated opening 17 of the shape oi? the terminal 3]. (Fig. (i), that is to he formed on the end of a cable Above the opening 17 is a constricted portion 33 of a diameter correspondin g to the outer dimension of the cable 32 and the upper portion of the die 16 is provided. with a. counter-sunk bell-mouthed recessed portion 34 for receiving; a sealing agent 35 such as asbestos, cork, Or other suitable heat- I't stant caulking material adapted to be tightly packed around the cable to seal oil the portion 17 on which theterminal is to be formed.

The sealing material is packed around the cable 32 by a pair of tamping members 36 having relatively long shank portions 37 which are mounted for osc illatorymovementin guides 38 secured to panel member 8. Guides 2-38 are provided with extensions 39, the end portions 40 oil? which are bent over to lie in the path of travel of talnping rods 37. Secured to the portion 40 and the ends of rod 37 are coil springs 4L1 which normally bias the tamping members to their raised position. The ends of the rods 2-37 are provided with extensions 12 to which links 43 are pivotally connected at n. The links are pivotally joined at their opposite ends and conne'zted at {L5 to a vertifally movable actuating member 46 that is disposed in a guide 47 nrovided in panel member 8. The member is connected at its upper extremity to a bar 48 the lower portion of which is pivotally connected at 49 to a. lever 50 that is pivotally mounted to anextending portion 51 oil? the panel memher 8. The lever 50 is connected by a link to a pedal (Fig. 2), which is pivotally connected to one of the legs 2 of the machine base. The arrangement of the tamping members 36 and their mechanical linkage with the pedal 53 is such. that when the pedal is depressed the tamping members are pressed downwardly against the resistance of the spring ll to force the sealing material 35 in the countersunk portion 34; of the die, filling, the crevices of the cable strands above the mold cavity, thereby sealing oil the opening 18 in the die to prevent leakage.

The sealing material 35 which is preferably coinniii'iuted asbestos, or cork, is automatically led to the die block by means of the following mechanism. See Figs. 2 and 3: A hopper 55 in which the sealing material is stored is mounted on the cover mcmher 3 of the tank 1. The hopper at its lower portion is provided with acylinder 56 having; a turned-dmvn end portion or nozzle 57 disposed above the counter-sunk recess 34 oil the die block. lLlllSlIOll 58 operatlvely disposed for axial movement in the cylinder so and is attached at one end to a link 59, one end of which is pivotally connected to a bell crank lever 60. The lever (30 is fulcrumed at (it to an extension portion 62 of the cover 3:) and its other end is connected for sliding engagement with a lever 60 which is pivoted at 61- to the cover 3. One end of lever (30 is connected to a link 63 which is disposed in a. guide (35 and biased by a coil spring 6-1; to normally hold the piston 58 in, its extended po sition. The upper portion of the link 63 is connected by an onset bracket 66 to bar 48 of the tamping mechanism and is adapted to be actuated by movement of the latter.

As shown in Fig. 1, panel member 8 is pro vided with an oil t portion GT ifor mounting a nozzle 68 leading to a source of com pressed air, the nozzle being disposed coaxially with the opening 17 oil the die for the purpose of cleaning the latter by means of an air blast. The nozzle 68 is provided with a valve (5?) having a handle or lever portion 70 which manipulated to apply the compressed air to the die.

The operation of this machine is briefly as follows: As shown in Fig. 5, the end of the stranded cable 32 on which the terminal is to be formed is inserted in opening 18 (ill the die. The operator then steps on pedal 5; which artuates piston i'i'iember 58 for inserting; seal in; material 35 in recess 34 of the die member, and the tamping mechanism. The mechanism is timed so that piston 58 will press out a portion of packing in advance of the movement of tampers 36, which then engage and firmly pack the material against the cable strands and around the bottom oi recess ill, sealing of't' opening 17 and preventing escape of molten metal.

The operator next presses down on lever 12 at the same time keeping his foot on pedal 53. Downward movement of lever 12 lowers piston 6 in its cylinder 55, causing a displacement of molten metal through the passage oil conduit 7 into block 25 underneath die 16, and from the conduit. passage it passes upwardly through passage 26 into the terminal opening 17 of the die block. The operator then releases both lever 12 and pedal 53 and till llll

llii

lill] throws lever 22 in the direction to open the die block b moving the portion thereof in its guide 21. The cable is then removed vith terminal 31 formed on the end thereof as shown in Fig, 6. The air blast is turned on to blow out any foreign articles which may have ill-(upped in the die from the recess El i, a new cable is inserted, and the operation repeated as described.

The method of forming terminals on slramled cable and the apparatus therefor decribsd herein provides a simple and e'flicient means for forming terminals on cables, of. uniform quality, and in relatively large quantities, with minimum of labor, and a minimum Waste of material. The machine is particularly designed to eliminate a number of preliminary operations preparatory to the die casting of the terminal ends.

Although only one embodiment of the invcntion has been herein illustrated and de scribed, varicuis modifications may be made in the details of construction and in the arrangement of the several cooperating parts without departi ng from the principlesherein set forth.

I claim:

1. A machine for casting metal terminals on cables, comprising a die open at one end to receive the end of a cable and comn'lunicating at its other end with a source of molten metal. means for sealing the die at its open end after the cable has been inserted therein, and means for conducting molten metal under pressure into the die.

A machine for forming terminals 011 cables, comprising a die open at one end to receive the end of a cable and communicating at its other end with a source of molten metal, tamping members cooperating with said die and adapted to pack a sealing material around the cable to close the opening in said die after the cable has been inserted therein, and means for conducting molten metal under pressure into the die.

A machine for forming terminals on cables, comprising a die open at one end to receive the end of a cable and communicating at its other end with a source of molten metal, tamping members cooperating with said die and adapted to pack a sealing material around the cable to close the opening in said die after the cable has been inserted therein, a pedal-operated actuating mechanism for said tamping members, and means for conducting molten metal under pressure into the die.

4. A machine for forming terminals on cables, comprising a die open at one end to receive the end of a cable and communicating at its other end. with a source of molten metal, tamping members cooperating Withsaid die and adapted to pack a sealing material around the cable to closethe opening in said die after the cable has been inserted therein, a pedal operated actuating mechanism for said tamping members, means operative by said pedal for feeding sealing material to the mouth of said die, and means for conducting molten metal under pressure into the die.

5. A machine for forming terminals on cables, comprising a container for molten metal, a die, mounted thereon having an opening for receiving a cable and communicating through a passage with the interior of the container, a heater for said die, a plurality of tamping members cooperatively associated with said die, n'iechanism for actuating said tamping members to pack a sealing material around the cable in the region of the die opening, and means for conducting molten metal to said die.

6. A machine for forming metal terminals on stranded cable ends, comprisinga twopart mold having a restricted portion adapted to loosely engage a cable positioned with its end in the mold cavity, the mold having a flared mouth above such restricted portion, tampers adapted to enter said flared portion and to compress a packing material around the cable in said portion, means to operate said campers, and automatic means to supply packing material to the mouth of the mold before tampin 7. The combination set forth in claim 3, plus a reservoir for storing granular tamping material, and means after each casting operation to supply new packing material to be tamped.

8. The method of forming metal terminals on stranded conductor cables, comprising positioning thecable end in a die cavity, tamping a packing material in the mouth of the die cavity about the cable, and forcing molten metal into the die to form a terminal on and about the cable end inside the packing.

In testimony whereof, I sign my name.

WILLIAM F. STUGKEMAN. 

